In an increasingly polarised world, the safety of journalists is often under threat. The traditional hazards of the job are legal reprisals, rejoinders, and political pressures, to name a few. But now, there is a more immediate and visceral danger: the hostility of crowds when they are incited by their leaders. For reporters covering public meetings or political rallies, this is a legitimate fear.
At such gatherings, some politicians turn the crowd against the media by weaving an ‘us versus them’ narrative. In such a charged environment, reporters risk verbal abuse and even physical violence from an audience that has been conditioned to see journalists not as essential messengers of information, but as adversaries who favour their opponents.
I experienced this recently at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as it made its way into Maharashtra. During a public meeting in Nandurbar, Mr. Gandhi said, “Yeh media wale app ko sach batate nahi hai (the media doesn’t show the truth anymore).” Instantly, the mood shifted. The crowd began shouting anti-media slogans even as a group of reporters and camera persons present at the site tried to cover the event.
